One thing we’ve found to be true here: great food easily accessible from downtown and the prices are affordable, so everyone can enjoy eating out.

Cleveland Pickle stuffs its sandwiches with unusual fillings like goat cheese and cashews.

Overlooking the Cuyahoga River where an Irish shantytown used to stand is Major Hoopples, one of Cleveland’s most noted dive bars.

If you want ethnic variety, head to the open-air Westside Market. There you’ll find 100 food vendors, including Pierogi Palace with its heavyweight potato-stuffed dumplings, and J&J Czuchraj Meats, which earned a shout-out from Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” with the aforementioned Symon.

Good eats abound at Westside Market

Brewing Up a Good Time

A revitalized blue-collar town without a few brewskis would be like a night without stars. Cleveland fills the skyline with almost too many breweries to count.

We like Platform Beer Co. for its ever-changing draft selection, including “Darn Putin,” Russian Imperial stout.

Pair your brew with German pretzels and potato pancakes at Hansa Brewery.

A “reckless abuse of hops” is worth exploring at Fat Head’s Brewery, treating guests to a crazy array of brews and hearty fare.

Masthead Brewing Co. won us over with a 100-foot bar, wood-fired pizza and American and Belgian beers.

As home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland gets automatic music credibility. Top artists make tour stops in Cleveland because of it, and because they enjoy Cleveland fans.

Among the intimate venues for national and local acts are House of Blues with its lively gospel brunch, the riverfront Jacobs Pavillion amphitheater and Music Box, featuring a supper club downstairs and concert hall upstairs.